Miss Representation

Like drawing back a curtain to let bright light stream in, Miss Representation uncovers a glaring reality we live with every day but fail to see. Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the film exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The film challenges the media's limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful herself.

In a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, the collective message that our young women and men overwhelmingly receive is that a woman's value and power lie in her youth, beauty, and sexuality, and not in her capacity as a leader. While women have made great strides in leadership over the past few decades, the United States is still 90th in the world for women in national legislatures, women hold only 3% of clout positions in mainstream media, and 65% of women and girls have disordered eating behaviors.

Comments (27)

EXCELLENT!!.. made me seriously look at the misogynistic conditioning that has taken place in my life and the necessity to examine every corner of my thoughts and assumptions.

Marina

San Francisco Public Library•5 months ago

Outstanding! A must see for everyone. Thank you Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

LP

Edmonton Public Library•6 months ago

Mentors, Role Models, and Solutions. Thank you so much for including this, after the startling look at how everyday people (myself included) have been playing into these 'norms' without ever realizing.

Jennifer

San Francisco Public Library•9 months ago

The media is the message and the message is created by men. Men in a society that is uncomfortable with equality and women being in a position of power. As women, we can do better to support each other and accept our power. Men can do better by supporting us and acknowledging our power.

Monique Teries

Columbia Office of University Life•10 months ago

When women stop letting money, power, and privilege dictate the roles they play, the songs they sing, and what defines beauty, then and only then will women be taken seriously.Women fail to look at how they see themselves. Self-hatred is real both mentally and physically. Too women define ...Read more

When women stop letting money, power, and privilege dictate the roles they play, the songs they sing, and what defines beauty, then and only then will women be taken seriously.Women fail to look at how they see themselves. Self-hatred is real both mentally and physically. Too women define themselves by their physical attributes.

Dr. Eisler's "The Chalice and the Blade" is a historical perspective on how the male domination came into being , and offering an approach to achieve gender equality through an alternative partnership model.

Dejana

University of North Florida•1 year ago

Excellent documentary. The media does a lot discredit women. If you don't look a certain way, you will be looked down upon which is totally wrong. Us women need to stand strong together (like we always do) and come up with ways to rise above the negative media portrayal . We need to know our ...Read more

Excellent documentary. The media does a lot discredit women. If you don't look a certain way, you will be looked down upon which is totally wrong. Us women need to stand strong together (like we always do) and come up with ways to rise above the negative media portrayal . We need to know our worth and stand our grounds to avoid being taken advantage of of looked at in a negative way. This video explains and demonstrates a lot and I enjoyed watching it.

I remember watching this video a few years ago, and it still inspires me as much as it did when I first saw it. It is unacceptable how women are portrayed by the media and are reduced only to their looks.

Daisy

University of North Florida•1 year ago

Watching this video showed the importance of knowing your worth. As women we are constantly being objectified. Women are no longer confident because we constantly are being reminded by the world of our flaws.

Amna

University of North Florida•1 year ago

I really enjoyed this video and how it drew attention to the complexity of issues women face today. These issues are hidden in the realms of media and have been for years. The lack of regulation within television and other sources allows for a distorted perception of women in power, one that ...Read more

I really enjoyed this video and how it drew attention to the complexity of issues women face today. These issues are hidden in the realms of media and have been for years. The lack of regulation within television and other sources allows for a distorted perception of women in power, one that has no real link to what women are actually like. I appreciate the mention of the important role diversity plays in institutions, as it is important to have different perspectives on a matter, rather than one that is coming from a stereotypical source (in this case, white males).

No matter how qualified you are on paper, women will still have to look the part also.

Emmy

University of New England•2 years ago

I like how they spend a section on young men and boys and how they are influenced by adults. This reaches to all age groups. I wish they spent more time expounding upon the details as I consider that a critical point in breaking the destructive culture norm.

Evan

Smith College•2 years ago

While "Miss Representation" draws on a theme seen in other documentaries such as Jean Kilbourne's "Killing Us Softly" series, it brings a new perspective as the filmmaker and narrator is an expectant mother pondering the life of her coming daughter. Also different from other films on the ...Read more

While "Miss Representation" draws on a theme seen in other documentaries such as Jean Kilbourne's "Killing Us Softly" series, it brings a new perspective as the filmmaker and narrator is an expectant mother pondering the life of her coming daughter. Also different from other films on the topic which tend to focus on one medium - advertisements, music videos, etc. - "Miss Representation" provides examples from many mediums. However, while using the perspective of an expectant mother provides a new take on the topic, it also vaguely implies that motherhood is the reason this filmmaker is a feminist, and her pregnancy is the first time she has seriously considered these topics, which somewhat damages her credibility. Motherhood provides a fresh perspective, but it is unclear if it serves the topic.

What an amazing documentary! I enjoyed the expanse of topics covered and the range of women and men sharing their experience and their views. I think the majority of people accept that inequality still exists for gender on some level. It is my hope that this documentary and its effect of ...Read more

What an amazing documentary! I enjoyed the expanse of topics covered and the range of women and men sharing their experience and their views. I think the majority of people accept that inequality still exists for gender on some level. It is my hope that this documentary and its effect of viewers emphasizes the extent of gender inequality and inspires people to take action as individuals and collectively. Gender inequality is too accepted in large parts of society as people become desensitized to provocative images of women and come to dismiss the violence against women. I appreciated this documentary's specific mention of the effect this advertising has on men as well as on women. Both men and women are flooded daily with a catastrophic combination of advertising, tv shows and general media which influences how they think and act. The equal representation of women is as important today as it was in the past. After all our society is not yet equal. Men are discriminated from 'feminine' jobs as women are barred from 'masculine' jobs. To have true political representation women must be represented equally and the media must be held accountable for their portrayal of women's appearance over the political ideology and platforms she presents. Why do we accept the blatant discrimination in media coverage of female politicians in juxtaposition to male politicians? It baffles me to this day!

This documentary seemed to only perpetuate the stereotypes about women complaining and appearing weak. Asking a bunch of high school students who have extremely limited life experience was also a stupid strategy.

Beverly

Smith College•2 years ago

With appearances from reputable activists, educators and writers such as Jean Kilbourne and Jackson Katz, this film is full of various perspectives and voices on the matter of self-objectification as a national epidemic. From advertisements to language, the film critiques America’s gendered ...Read more

With appearances from reputable activists, educators and writers such as Jean Kilbourne and Jackson Katz, this film is full of various perspectives and voices on the matter of self-objectification as a national epidemic. From advertisements to language, the film critiques America’s gendered socialization in such a way that convinces the audience of the dangers of media, as well as its power in shaping society, politics and more.

Notably, the film discusses how patriarchy is the country’s default but unfortunately such ideology is so pervasive that some of the speakers actually seem to exemplify sexism and disempowerment through their own commentary.
One of the arguments is that media is used to hypersexualize women as a means of undermining their power yet at times it felt as though the featured speakers were doing just that, undermining their own power and efficacy by perpetuating social gender norms (i.e.. “we’re a nation of boys” - Why is the default for comparison, males? And why is "boys" synonymous with sexual, disrespectful, powerful?).

There was also an odd segment regarding media representation that used the phrase “you can’t be what you can’t see” and while media should be employing representative actors/actresses, models, etc., there is something about the word “can’t” that felt disempowering, and inconsistent with the intelligent, passionate young middle and high schoolers featured in the film, who gave hope for a brighter future.
Overall, this documentary is a great start in looking at the many parties involved in, and affected by, American media and it should be commended for its intersectional approach.

This documentary does not expose any new ideas and materials for people who are already interested in the topic however, it does give good perspective on why the representation of women in our society is so important and how the representation of women now is damaging to everyone. I ...Read more

This documentary does not expose any new ideas and materials for people who are already interested in the topic however, it does give good perspective on why the representation of women in our society is so important and how the representation of women now is damaging to everyone. I particularly like the way that the stereotypes among women and how they directly correlate to younger girls self- esteem was portrayed. I think that this is important as media has evolved tremendously over the years, and the way women are being portrayed is extremely important because everyone is always watching. It is impossible for young women to be shielded from harmful messages from the media. I think this documentary was amusing and quite informing, showing us how our biggest source of information can be good or bad, depending on how we use it.

After watching Miss Representation there are a couple of themes that resonated with me. With the upcoming election I found it interesting to learn more about the various ways that women in the political world are objectified. For example, there has been a lot of judgement passed on Hillary ...Read more

After watching Miss Representation there are a couple of themes that resonated with me. With the upcoming election I found it interesting to learn more about the various ways that women in the political world are objectified. For example, there has been a lot of judgement passed on Hillary Clinton, but more so in the aspect of her appearance and age in order to conclude her capabilities. It’s interesting how gendered of a world we live in and how any other male candidate would be judged on their political capabilities and not how old they look.
I thought that the documentary was a little on the long side and considering all of the major points that were made during the film I think that if the information was somehow condensed it could potentially hold the attention of those watching the film a little longer. I agree and think that more people need to become aware of the role that social media plays. Overall it was a great film and I think both men and women should watch it.

Miss Representation highlights the way media is in sync with corporate money, it allows the audience to see the true impact of environment on community. The community being women of the United States. This film was very interesting and heartbreaking at the same time. It leads to a lot of ...Read more

Miss Representation highlights the way media is in sync with corporate money, it allows the audience to see the true impact of environment on community. The community being women of the United States. This film was very interesting and heartbreaking at the same time. It leads to a lot of introspection, what exactly do I do in order to help further the agenda of big corporations? How have I personally fallen into the hyena's den and tried to fit into the societal norms? How many times have I unknowingly said or done something that falls into line with what society wants from women?
I was impressed by the inclusion of intersectionality in this film, this is something that usually does not happen in movies or documentaries, especially when the director is not part of those specific groups. I enjoyed seeing people that I could identify with in the film, which also made me wonder why it should be so a special thing rather than a requirement.
My question is, where do we go from here? As a woman of color, how will I be able to deconstruct this system? Internally, personally, yes I can do this. But globally? Nationally? Is this one of the many of things that I need to attend to? Who do I go to? Where do I start?

Miss Representation explores the ways in which the media is both “the message and the messenger,” feeding members of our society the idea that girls’ and womens’ value lies in their beauty, sexuality, and approval from men, rather than in their ability to be powerful, dominant, and ...Read more

Miss Representation explores the ways in which the media is both “the message and the messenger,” feeding members of our society the idea that girls’ and womens’ value lies in their beauty, sexuality, and approval from men, rather than in their ability to be powerful, dominant, and successful. You’re either hypersexualized or perceived as angry and bitter. Capitalist objectives drive the production of images in the media, an industry that is unable to detach from what sells, female bodies. As active audience members, we are constantly suffocated with advertising and images that become a reflection of societal views. These images showcase the under representation of women in positions of power in America, women of color, the hyper-sexualization of women, and many more unhealthy and inappropriate images that present the need for stronger media literacy in our culture.

The diverse group of women in the film, who ranged from politicians to actresses, students to CEO’s, people of color to members of the LGBTQ community, all shared unique and individualized narratives and perspectives. At the same time however, not only people with PhD’s or Hollywood superstars are worth quoting, and if this were the case, then this documentary would just be modeling and reinforcing the ways in which the media portrays those whose opinions matter, and excludes opinions with less importance.

We must work collectively to participate in the conversation to foster a heightened gendered consciousness. We must continue to challenge the media, encourage woman to find their true power, encourage young girls to find role models wherever they can, stop destructive behavior that we inflict upon each other as women and ourselves, and work to be the change that we all wish to see in the world.

This film is heartbreaking in an essential way—we need this, and we need to pass it on.

Acalia

Queensland University of Technology•2 years ago

Definitely a must watch for all, especially those who believe society has reached gender equality

Dylan

Kanopy Staff•2 years ago

I think everyone should see this even-handed, comprehensive film. Its incredibly timely with a sequence on how Clinton, Palin and others were represented the media 8 years ago, with obvious relevance to the current campaign. Essential viewing.

Cristin

Miami University•2 years ago

Very eye opening on gender issues in media.

Bigblue

Langara College•2 years ago

This documentary was very eye opening and was put together in a way that made it easy to consume even if you're not thinking about things like this most of the time. 10/10

Anonymous

Indiana University South Bend•2 years ago

This is such a powerful documentary for people to watch so they can learn about how the media has wrapped our views of gender.

Jennifer

The Representation Project•3 years ago•Filmmaker

I made Miss Representation because we live in a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, and the collective message the media send to our young women and men is that a woman's value lies in her youth, beauty, and sexuality, and not in her capacity as a leader. ...Read more

I made Miss Representation because we live in a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, and the collective message the media send to our young women and men is that a woman's value lies in her youth, beauty, and sexuality, and not in her capacity as a leader. I wanted to shed a light on this problem, because if we don't question that thinking and work to change it, we are going to continue to be marginalized.

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